"Hi Seth~!"
You have got to be joking. He had a dream. He should have taken more like an omen, a terrible one at that. Oh well, at least he wasn't talking with the voice of a little girl. He'd much rather prefer if his voice was replaced by songbirds though.
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It had been a few hours since Seth's morning incident. After it had been resolved, he found himself with three new companions. They formed a small party, leaving the room together to find Mother Maria. The children lead Seth in the direction of the kitchen, unaware she had been earlier watching them. When they saw her, she was delicately slicing through a loaf of bread, cutting the wheat-flour grain into smaller slices. She turned upon hearing them enter and acted as if the development was surprising to her.
Seth approached her, offering a hand to help her with the meal.
In return, she gave him the blade which he gladly took while she went to another corner of the room towards a small storage space to prepare the toppings. Seth looked at the blade. It was slightly jagged and chipped along the tip, but it would suffice. He turned to see Rye, Fina, and Roux join their mother's side to help her. They certainly looked so chirpy seeing the lettuce, tomatoes, and slices of ham. It was as if they struck gold and fantasized about their newly found fortune. (After eating Syr's cooking, the blandest meal would practically melt in your mouth. Not that Seth ever experienced her cooking. A blessing of ignorance).
They made their own sandwiches. Though, Maria advised them to be light with the toppings. They cost extra around this time of the year. Fina wanted to toast her bread to give it a light crunch, as did Seth. The other three were less fussy about the texture of their meals. There was a small oven in the corner. Seth and Fina set their pieces of bread onto the rack and began toasting them. Sadly for Fina, she mistimed the browning of her bread, instead, making it blackened and charred. Her ears flopped down as she stared wistfully at it. Taking pity upon her, Seth took the piece of bread from her grasp and replaced it with his own golden brown slices. She smiled at him as she merrily began chowing down on her sandwich. Seth studied his scorched meal, and after a few moments, gave a shrug, lifted his mask, and took a bite.
After finishing their food, Rye, Fina, and Roux were about to help Maria tidy up, but she insisted that she would be fine. Seth looked at her for a brief moment. How could anyone be so courteous and kind?
Filled with newfound energy, the children ran out of the kitchen to go play, leaving Maria and Seth in the kitchen. Maria flashed a smile at Seth before she picked up the cutlery; and placed them in the sink. Not wanting her to bear all the chorus by herself, Seth made his way to her side. However, after a few steps, a sudden rush of nausea came over him. His hand flung itself to the nearby wall for support as his other hand clutched his stomach.
Bad bread. Burnt bread.
Maria swiftly came to his side. Seeing his slumped posture and how he gripped his abdomen, she surmised his ailment; and immediately fetched a bin for him. She placed it in front of him. He fell to his knees, and gripped the rim of the bin with both hands, and waited. Nothing but the sound of Seth's deep breaths could be heard as Maria waited with bated breaths.
One breath, two, then three.
Miraculously, Seth managed to stifle his urge to empty his stomach through his mouth. The two let out a sigh of relief. Though, they did it for different reasons. Maria was thankful that her guest was now alright. Seth was just happy to not make any more messes for Maria.
After that bit of a fiasco, Maria urged Seth that she was more than capable of tidying up the kitchen and for him to go and spend more time with the children. Begrudgingly, Seth complied and left the kitchen. He paused as he had forgotten to ask her where they could be.
Oh well. Not that it mattered. The sound of children screaming in glee nearby was a dead giveaway.
He followed the echoes of excitement to an opening, a nave. Flowers and their petals decorated the wooden floorboards. They were scattered about, a result of the children running about so carelessly. They still were—playing tag, heroes and monsters, and other games that let their imagination run free.
Seth felt his lips form a smile. He had been smiling quite a bit today. He wasn't or hasn't been in his garden, and yet, he couldn't help but feel joyful. Strange. Then, his eyes hovered over the center of the nave. He felt his eyes gloss over it before immediately snapping back.
No—no, no, no.
He was feeling happy. Emphasis on was. He felt as though his smile had been robbed from his lips. There, in the center of the room, was his brother. He was bending down, handing a stuffed teddy bear to a young girl. He smiled at her as she meekly took it. Seth felt a tension of conflicting emotions arise from within him as he saw his brother's lips curve upward.
Abel was smiling. But why was he smiling? Why was he smiling? You can smile at him, his brother, that was fine. Smile at the adults. But smiling at the children—Seth couldn't help but feel so terribly anxious as Abel began talking to her.
"Have you seen a big, cloaked man, little girl?"
"Hmm, yeah. This morning. He was scary."
"Well, do you happen to know where the scary man is?"
"He's not that scary any more," she said, recorrecting herself and Abel. "Rye, Fina, and Roux said that he was a friend now."
"Hm hm, how about that," Abel muttered to himself.
"Thank you for your help," he said cheerfully. "And try to take better care of your furry friend there."
She hugged her newly stitched teddy bear to her chest and nodded.
"But, if he does get hurt again, I'll be happy to fix him back up."
Abel could see that the girl's eyes began to glimmer. How innocent; how pure; how envious.
He rose up and turned to see his brother staring at him.
"Oop! There he is!"
He childishly waved with his fingers at his brother and made his way to him. He opened his arms out as if to expect a warm hug. Hell would freeze over before that would ever happen.
"Hi Seth~!" he sang as Seth immediately began stepping back.
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Maria came to see what her children and guest were doing. As she swung the corner, she could see Seth standing by another man as though they were having a conversation. Albeit, one of the individuals was mute. The other man looked younger than Seth and was covered in bandages. An ex-adventurer, perhaps? Maybe he was injured in the dungeon. That would certainly explain the bandages. But no, he didn't fit the typical description of a dungeon dweller.
He seemed rather familiar with Seth, much to the latter's discomfort. His actions were so extra. Maria found herself amused at how the two interacted.
The quips, the sighs, the jeers, the facepalms. Cause and effect.
Suddenly, the man leaned over to peer behind Seth to see her staring at them. He smiled and waved at her. Seth noticed that the man's attention had been taken off of him and turned around. As he did so, the man began to approach her. Though he was cut short by Seth yanking him back by the collar.
"Argh—!"
He was pulled back in front of Seth, like a child being pulled back to their parent's side. The man crossed his arms and puffed his cheek out.
Out of the corner of her eye, Maria could see one of her children sitting on the floor.
"Krisope," Maria called out. "Who is that man with Seth?"
Krisope shrugged.
They noticed him when they first entered the nave. Naturally, upon seeing him, they were fearful of him. However, he called out to them, saying that he wasn't going to hurt them, that he was friendly. They couldn't explain it. They lack the vocabulary to articulate how they felt. But for whatever reason, they believed him. They trusted him.
"He said his name was Abel and that he was looking for his brother," she answered, factually.
"Abel… I see."
Brother? Yes, the way the two acted certainly made them seem that way. She looked back to see that the air around them had suddenly turned grave. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was as if she was a child watching two adults discuss "adult things". They seemed unapproachable, and she wouldn't dare to intrude upon them. Rationalizing that it was rude to stare and that her children were in no danger, she decided it best to leave them be and go elsewhere.
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"Argh—!"
Abel's tongue jutted forward as he was yanked back.
"Hey! What was that for?" he said, rubbing his neck. "I was just going to say hi."
Abel moped as he very well sensed that an opportunity to tease his brother had passed. However, he left himself open to a counterattack!
"Aww, Seth. Don't worry, you're still my favorite to talk to, and will always be! Don't worry about your special place in my heart being replaced!"
Abel could feel a vein beginning to bulge on his brother's head. Right on cue. Well then, that was enough fun. Time to move on. Abel let out a sigh and pulled off the mask of mischief, revealing a veil of gravitas.
"I don't plan on staying very long. There's something I need to do."
Seth looked at his brother. Such a peculiar thing. The way he could simply flick a switch in his mind so seamlessly to change his entire persona.
"I found out what is happening—the heart of the matter."
Found? Yes. That seemed like an appropriate word. He wouldn't openly admit that he knew all along. That it was ultimately he who was killing the universe. It was like glancing at a cheat sheet of a test but still deciding to rip up the paper as a means of cleaning the slate, despite the answers still lingering in his mind.
He said it himself, a calamity was coming. He knew the consequences that would come from unseemly memories. They remember. It remembers. He just wanted to pass off the blame, somehow.
"It's a star, Seth. It has gone mad. It has remembered. I need to snuff it out."
Abel's breath was dreary and cold, his voice though held a callous, slick edge to it, like a knife held to one's throat. His eye deadened as he stared into the middle distance. Then, after a moment, he smiled chirpily.
"But that aside, how have you been? Make any friends?" he said with an impish, knowing smile.
Seth subconsciously glanced toward the children. Friends? That word didn't seem appropriate. They were… acquaintances. Yes.
Suddenly, a quiet yawn caught Seth's attention. It was an odd pitch, certainly not human. He looked down to see a cat by Abel's feet. Its whiskers and ears twitched as it slowly uncurled itself.
"...?"
The cat cranked its neck as it began to reawaken itself. Seth looked at it. Why did it seemingly look so familiar? Why was he immediately irked by its presence?
"Oh. Right. Don't be alarmed, but the cat is me."
Seth stared blankly at the cat for a few moments. Ah. That would explain it.
"Yeah I know, but come on! He's totally more tolerable because he's so swoft and fwuffy."
Tolerable? Perhaps it would be if it wasn't for its eyes and its smile. Its eyes glinted with intellectual sophistication. And that smile—that devilish smile that oozed savage sadism. Yes. This cat was Madness.
"Meow~," it said, its voice low and predatory.
Just Seth's luck, it talks as well.
Abel smirked at the two's interaction. Two seconds in and Seth has already seemingly blown a fuse. Oh, what fun it will be in the future! But that could wait. Assuming that he could prevent the calamity, and preserve such a future.
Seth turned to look at his brother.
"..."
"No, no, that's fine. I'll go by myself."
His star; his madness; his fault. The notions continued to irk him whenever they came across his mind. He wanted to be alone on the journey. He didn't want anyone else to bear witness to the sins of his past.
Abel flashed a smile at Seth.
"Actually, it'd be best for you to stick around this place. Children tend to have a knack for stumbling across rather… unseemly things."
Curiosity and innocence. There are unseen and unspoken things in the dark that are attracted to such traits. Moths to a flame.
"Who knows," Abel shrugged. "You may find their findings to be helpful later down the line."
Seth raised a brow.
"..."
"Oh don't worry. You won't be lonely. You'll have me to watch over you! The other me, that is."
Seth's face twisted into a grimace as his eyes slowly glossed at the cat. He then looked back at Abel. Back and forth, back and forth, After a few moments of looking between the two, he let out a sigh. Ever the babysitter. Well, cat sitter in this case. At least there's a slight mix-up in their dynamic.
"..."
"Good! Now that that's all sorted, I'd better skedaddle. I have an appointment to finish."
Brushing past his brother, Abel gave a quick pat on Seth's back before taking off yet again. Seth turned slightly to see him off, but stopped, seeing that he was already gone. He turned his gaze back onto the cat.
"..."
"Hmmm. Yes, I suppose calling me Madness would be rather off putting. How about Schrodinger? Let's go with that."
Schrodinger smiled smugly at Seth before flaunting its tail. Seth could tell that this was going to be a doozy.
"Now, are there any fish around? I'm practically famished."